Card game and method of playing same

ABSTRACT

A card game and method of playing same which comprises two sets of playing cards, each set differentiating from the other by indicia thereon, and a tray having a plurality of individual compartments therein for containing the cards when distributed throughout the tray, allowing the cards to be readily removed from each compartment during the playing of the game. The game is played by selected moving of cards from compartment to compartment within the tray in a given number of moves to effect a result where only cards of one set are exposed to the players.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Adolph E. Goldlarb 19434 Londelius St., Northridge, Calil. 913 I4; Rene Soriano, Los Angeles, Calll.

2| 1 Appl. No. 849,090

22 Filed Aug. 11, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 30, 1971 [73] Assignee said Goldlarb, by said Sorlano [54] CARD GAME AND METHOD OF PLAYING SAME- 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. CI 273/132, 273/ l 53 S (5] l Int. Cl A63! 3/02 [50] Field ol Search 273/l 30,

130B, 130C, l30EQl30F, l3], l3] B l3 l D, l3l F, l3l L, 13] T, l32, 153 S, I53], l48A [56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1928 Ward 273/lS2.2 UX

OTHER REFERENCES Games with Playing Cardsv by Joseph Leeming, I949. Knickerbocker Printing Corporation, N. Y., N.Y.. pages 4l and 42 Streets and Alleys," copy in Unit 334 Primary xaminer--Anton 0. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Allomeys Sokolski and Wohlgemuth and Robert M. Ashen ABSTRACT: A card game and method of playing same which comprises two sets of playing cards. each set differentiating from the other by indicia thereon, and a tray having a plurality of individual compartments therein for containing the cards when distributed throughout the tray, allowing the cards to be readily removed from each compartment during the playing of the game. The game is played by selected moving of cards from compartment to compartment within the tray in a given number of moves to effect a result where only cards of one set are exposed to the players.

CARD GAME AND METHOD OF PLAYING SAME The herein invention is in the field of card games. More particularly, the invention relates to a card game that involves the movement of cards where the player must rely both upon his memory and concentration as to the placement of the cards, as well as planning strategy for eventual further moves during the game.

Prior to the herein invention there existed card games that have relied upon the concentration and memory of the player. Typical of such games is the game referred to as CONCEN- TRATION" where a plurality of normal playing cards are placed face down in a pattern. A player then selects two cards within the pattern to be turned face upward in an attempt to match the cards. The success of the game is quite dependent upon the memory of the players as to the location within the pattern of cards that have been previously turned up in an attempt to form matched pairs. In that game the cards remain in a static fixed position and are not generally moved within the pattern. Though the game CONCENTRATION" relies significantly on the memory of the players, there is little inthe way of strategy involved in playing the game, since there are no moves and thus no preplanning required. Alternatively, many card games which involve strategy, and even concentration, further involve pure luck of the draw, and thus are to a degree always unpredictable and do not rely fully upon the intelligence and ability of the players.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a card game and method of playing same which requires both the concentration and memory of the player, while requiring strategic planning of moves.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel card game and method of playing same which is readily understood and involves a minimum number of components.

Briefly, the herein invention comprises two sets of playing cards. The cards of each set are identified from those of the other by indicia on the face thereof. For example, the cards in one set may be one color while those in the other set another color. Additionally the game includes a tray for containing the cards and for playing the game. The tray can be, for example, molded out of plastic and having individual compartments corresponding to the size of the cards. The bottom surface in each compartment is preferably slanted upwardly toward the player so that the cards may readily be slid out of a compartment during the playing of the game. In order to play the game, the two sets of cards are distributing among the compartments of the tray. Preferably, as will be explained, the cards are distributed in a desired order. The object of the game is to end up after a fixed number of moves with cards of one set being exposed to the player in all of the compartments of the tray. In playing the game, a player will move a card from one compartment to another in order to attempt to achieve the desired result. It is preferred that the game be played such that a player cannot remove two cards successively from the same compartment of the tray, nor can a player move two cards in succession to the same compartment of the tray. It is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description and drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a pictorial representation of the game of the invention comprising the tray utilized together with a first layer of playing cards disposed in a predetermined selected pattern.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of the game tray as shown in FIG. I, with all of the cards provided equally distributed in a preselected pattern.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. I, to particularly show the configuration of a compartment of a tray.

Turning now to the FIGS., there is seen a tray 1 l utilized for playing the game of the invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tray preferably is divided into nine individual compartments 13. The tray as shown is formed with three rows of three compartments in each row. The dimensions of the compartments l3 conform to those of playing cards provided as part of the game.

The playing tray 11 can preferably be formed out of a single piece of molded plastic with the compartments 13 being formed as particularly seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, wherein the bottom surface 17 of each compartment slopes in a generally upwarddirection toward a forward end 19 of the playing tray which preferably will face the players. The sloping bottom surface 17 facilitates removal of the top card from a stack of cards within the compartment without disturbing the remaining cards, as well as removal of the last card in the compartment. Further, this configuration enables one to readily stack the cards within a compartment in an orderly manner since the cards are confined on three sides of the compartment, allowing access to the stack of cards from the front end 19 of the tray as readily seen from the drawings.

The game is provided with two sets of cards, with each set being distinguished from the other by means of an indicia on the face of the card. As shown in the drawing, a simple indicia in the form of a circle may be printed on one side of the card.

One set of cards thus could have a blue circle 21, while the second set could have a green circle 23. Obviously, however, any sort of different indicia can be utilized. For purpose of explanation a most simple form is shown. When utilizing a tray having nine compartments the game may be played effectively with two sets of cards, with each set containing 36 cards.

In order to play the game of the invention, the two sets of cards are preferably initially distributed in an ordered pattern between the compartments 13 of the playing tray 11. As shown in FIG. 1, an initial disposition of the playing cards in the compartments is made so as to alternate cards of the two sets. Thus, the initial layer of cards is disposed in a pattern of bIue-green-blue in a row of three compartments furthermost from the front end 19, green-blue-green in the middle row of compartments, and blue-green-blue again in the final row. In other words, the cards are distributed in an alternating pattern, it making no difference which set of cards begins the pattern and thus has the most number present in the initial layer. The next layer of cards placed upon the first layer has a pattern as shown in FIG. 2, where a card of the opposite set is placed upon each card of the first layer. Thus, the pattern in the second layer of cards is alternate from that of the first layer. The cards are thus alternately played until they are all used. After all the cards of the two sets are distributed, when utilizing 36 cards in each set, the final pattern is as seen in FIG. 2. This presents as the top layer an alternating pattern of cards opposite from that of the bottom-most first layer seen in FIG. 1. Thus, before the game begins, the cards within each compartment are stacked in an alternating pattern of a card of one set and then a card of the other set. Additionally the cards in each layer in adjacent compartments within the tray alternate from one set to the other in both directions as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The game can be played by virtually any number of players. In one embodiment, the game may be played with an attempt to accumulate a given number of points, for example, points. The main object of the game is to attempt to have cards of one set or one color exposed at the top of each stack in the compartments after a given number of moves. For the illustrated game it has been found effective to require that such result be accomplished by a player in a number of moves equivalent to the number of compartments. Thus, in the game as shown in the drawings each player is preferably limited to nine moves in an attempt to change the color pattern to cards of one set being exposed.

To start the game, one player is chosen to go first and play continues by either passing to his right or left among the remaining players. The first player is to attempt to change the pattern to the set or color in which the four cards are exposed as seen in FIG. 2. Thus, in the example given, the first player is to change the color pattern to nine blue cards, or as close as possible to that number. The player picks up a card to be moved and counts in succession from 1 to 9 with each card so picked. A card removed from a compartment may be placed on top in any other compartment and counts as one move. In

playing the game, a player should not be allowed to take two cards from the same compartment consecutively, nor place two cards into the same compartment consecutively.

After completion of his nine moves, the player counts the number of blue cards exposed at the top of the compartments. Each blue card will count, for example, one point. lfthe player succeeds in exactly nine moves in changing all nine cards to his given color, he scores 9 points plus a bonus nine points, making a total of 18 points for that turn. It should be pointed out that a player must always taken a full nine moves. Thus, if he succeeds in achieving a single color combination in less than nine moves he has not successfully played the game. He must continue until the full nine moves are made.

After a player completes his nine moves, the following player does not reset the cards, but uses the layout left by the preceding player and must attempt to change the color combination to the opposite color from the one of the preceding player. Thus, for example, the second player in the game as given in this example must attempt to change all of the cards to green in nine moves, with a point being given for each card in the top of any stack which is green at the end of nine moves. The first player that, for example, reaches 100 points wins the game.

Though it has been previously determined that the game of this invention is particularly well played and made interesting by utilizing nine compartments and two sets of cards of 36 cards each, this obviously is not a mandatory requirement since the same basic playing concept of attempting to change all cards to one color at the top of the individual stacks can be accomplished through differing numbers of compartments as well as differing numbers of cards in each set. Also, while the illustrated parallel rows of rectangular compartments make a convenient and compact arrangement, other compartment orders and arrangements could be used. Further, the game can be played without necessarily placing the cards in the predetermined order, described above, both within the stacks and adjacent compartments. However, once again, it has been determined that the game is interesting and can be planned when the cards are arranged as given in the previous description, such that they alternate from one set to another within the stacks as well as alternating from one set to another from compartment to compartment in a given layer. Other predetermined patterns or orders could be used instead. While the cards might even be randomly disposed initially, it is preferred that they be prearranged in some detennined pattern or order.

lclaim:

l. A card game apparatus comprising:

a generally rectangular housing having only nine individual rectangular compartments formed therein, said compartments being arranged in three parallel rows of three compartments each,

and two sets of playing cards, each set consisting of only 36 cards, with each card of each set having the same indicia thereon as the other cards of that set, the indicia of one set differing from the indicia on the other set.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein said sets of cards are disposed in said compartments in a predetermined pattern.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein said pattern comprises a distribution of said cards in layers in said compartments, such that in each layer, cards of opposite sets are located in adjacent compartments.

4. The game of claim 3 wherein cards stacked in each compartment alternate between cards of two sets.

* i t t i 

1. A card game apparatus comprising: a generally rectangular housing having only nine individual rectangular compartments formed therein, said compartments being arranged in three parallel rows of three compartments each, and two sets of playing cards, each set consisting of only 36 cards, with each card of each set having the same indicia thereon as the other cards of that set, the indicia of one set differing from the indicia on the other set.
 2. The game of claim 1 wherein said sets of cards are disposed in said compartments in a predetermined pattern.
 3. The game of claim 2 wherein said pattern comprises a distribution of said cards in layers in said compartments, such that in each layer, cards of opposite sets are located in adjacent compartments.
 4. The game of claim 3 wherein cards stacked in each compartment alternate between cards of the two sets. 